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Chapter 12

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Sakuno
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"Omatase!" Sakuno said running to Tezuka who was leaning against the brick wall with his arms crossed.  He stood beside the sign that was hung up on the wall with his eyes closed, causing many female students to gaze admiringly at him.  The black uniform that he wore enhanced his dashing good looks even more, and Sakuno had to stop herself from blushing with that thought.

"I had to clean up the art supplies.  Gomen ne." she bowed at him.

"It's alright.  Ikuzo." He straightened himself up and they began walking.

Today her foot steps fell into the same pace as his.  It was their fourth day walking together.  Every now and then she fell a few steps behind, because he was so tall and had longer legs his strides were reasonably larger than hers.  Every time she fell behind she would gaze up at him, and watch him freely for she knew he couldn't see her lingering gaze.

'He's only two years my senior and yet, it seems as if there are so many years between us.  He's formal, serious and mature demeanour makes him even more beautiful than he already is, but it's so different to my childlike manner.' Sakuno thought, biting on her lip thoughtfully. 

'He can be a little scary at times, but he certainly has charm.' She smiled to herself.

She remembered that afternoon he had confronted her, and had decided he'd walk her home.  She had run out after art club hoping to catch him somewhere, because he never said where to meet him.  She had run right out to the school gate, looked left and right frantically but didn't see him. She contemplated for a while before reluctantly pulling out her little cell phone, and began dialling.  Just as she hit the enter key.

"I'm here." He said from behind her, startling her so much she dropped her phone.

"I-uh-um I." she whipped around coming face to face with him stuttering, her heart racing, while he casually bent down, picked up and clicked shut her phone, because her call had been successfully transferred through and his own cell phone in his pocket was ringing. As he snapped it shut, his phone went silent. He handed the phone to her.

"A-arigtou.  Did you wait long?" she asked timidly after her heart-beat returned to normal.

"No."

"Souka…Where were you waitng?"

"Under the tree, just in there."  She stretched her head to one side and looked around him at the big sakura tree just inside the school gate.

"How come I didn't see him…" she murmured to herself.  She straightened up and saw him standing as still as ever gazing down at her.

Sakuno laughed softly at the memory. 

'Of course I couldn't see him.  He's always standing so still.'  Ever since that afternoon he had waited outside the school gate as he did today.

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Tezuka

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Her light laughter broke him from his thoughts.  He looked back at her and saw she was smiling to herself, and walking happily.  He swivelled his head back around and sighed.  He was tempted to say something to her, but didn't want to spoil her mood.  He listened to the delicate sound of bells that hung from her bag, and unconsciously he fell into a slower pace that matched hers.

She has so many different smiles.  Each one brightening her unique glow in such a way it enchanted him so much, he couldn't do much but gaze at her contently.

He remembered the morning he went to pick her up at her house.  She hadn't expected him and had stopped in her tracks when she saw him standing on the foot path in front of her house.  He had been looking across the street, all the while thinking what SHE would think to find him out here.  He was unaware of her presence until she tugged on his shirt sleeve.

It surprised him so much he turned around abruptly causing her to run back a few steps giving a little yelp.  She stood a few paces from him breathing hard, and suddenly she burst out laughing.  It was soft and gentle.

He gave a cough and said a short "sorry,"

She stopped her laughing then looked at him questioningly.

"Doushite koko ni iru no?" she asked.

"Walking you to school." He gave her a sideways glance.

"I thought it was only going home time." She said looking up at the sky, pondering whether he had mentioned it or not.

"I guess not." He had answered.

"Will I get to walk with you everyday?" she asked shyly, with her hands clasped behind her back.  Her hair that usually trailed halfway down her back was tied up in a high pony-tail. Her navy blue uniform and white leg-warmers suited her a lot more than the green uniform she used to wear in junior high. 

'When she had asked me that question, I found it odd.  It was me who was accompanying her, not the other way around.  She looked so cute standing there, I didn't know what to say, so I nodded."

"Hontou?!"

Tezuka nodded again.  He saw her eyes brighten up beautifully and she ran up to him with a big smile.

"Let's go!"

He couldn't get that delighted look out of his mind.  Did it mean something?  She had looked so happy.  Suddenly he was jerked back into reality at her hold on his arm.

He turned and looked at her.

"Doushita." He asked.

"I should be asking you that." She said a smile playing on her pink lips.  "I'm home."  She pointed to her house.  "I had to pull you back or else you would have kept on walking."  She let go of his arm and squinted up at him, because of the glare of the afternoon sun.

He pushed up his glasses and showed the first sign of sheepishness.  Though it was very small, it didn't escape her.  She smiled up at him again, and said,

"Ja."  She began walking to her house, so Tezuka turned and went back into the direction they came from.  Tezuka's house was actually closer to the school than hers was.  She lived only 10 minutes from him, but from her house to school could take as long as 25 minutes to walk.

"Neh Tezuka." Her voice spoke up again. 

"Nanda" he said turning his head in her direction, hands in pockets.

"I just want to thank you, for walking me everyday.  I know it's a lot of trouble, but….I really enjoy being with you."  When she said that, time froze for a moment between them.  Even though it really didn't, it seemed so much like so, because while she was talking she had been rocking back and forth on her heels, but after she said her last words she stood perfectly still.

He felt this rush of air inside him and he raised his face into the air with his eyes closed, his hair falling back.  He drew a deep breath then looked at her again.  Unconsciously one side of is mouth curved up slightly, giving her a deliciously half smile.

"Ja. Sakuno."

Lol, I need help. Someone needs to tell me how to work italics and bold in fanfiction.net here.